Thoughts on Notre Dame in 2026

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish enter the 2026 season as a major national title favorite, bolstered by a roster ranke

d 3rd nationally and an elite 2026 recruiting class featuring four five-star prospects. Fifth-year head coach Marcus Freeman leads a team projected to be favored in every regular-season matchup, with analysts at CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated identifying the Irish as a near-consensus pick for the College Football Playoff

Roster and Coaching Highlights

• Key Departures: The offense must replace star running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who both entered the NFL Draft.
• Projected Starters: Junior C.J. Carr is expected to take over at quarterback, supported by sophomore running back Aneyas Williams and a wide receiver corps strengthened by former Ohio State five-star transfers Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham.
• Defense: Defensive captain Adon Shuler (Safety) and edge rusher Boubacar Traore return to anchor a unit that expects to remain among the nation's elite.
• Coaching Staff Changes: New additions include Charlie Partridge (Defensive Line), Aaron Henry (Secondary/Co-DC), and Brian Jean-Mary (Linebackers/Run Game Coordinator), replacing Al Washington and Mike Mickens who departed for NFL roles. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Season Outlook

Analytics and betting markets are highly optimistic about the Irish. ESPN's SP+ rankings project Notre Dame as a top-five team, and the program opened with some of the best national title odds at +650. A critical stretch occurs in November with three consecutive home games against Miami, Boston College, and SMU.

So what are your thoughts on the Irish a National Title Contender or over rated like many other years?